White Men Can't Jump, and TIL - Most Ants Can't Swim
A Life-Hack to Keep Ants Out of Our Hummingbird Feeder
I was distressed last month to discover that ants had found their way into our hummingbird feeder. These little critters are incredibly clever and persistent, and seem capable at times of almost magical acrobatic feats.
The little buggers actually climbed down the extremely slender cable supporting our hummingbird feeder and got up inside the dispensing bottle!
Behold, the Ant
Photo courtesy of kazuend and http://unsplash.com
Even though I hate what they do,
I have to grudgingly admire ants' tenacity and their ability to find what they need to care for their own.
Even the bible praises ants for the characteristics that make them a success, and holds them up for our consideration as an example of industrious tenacity.
"Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." - Proverbs 6:6
and
"the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;" - Proverbs 30:25
Nevertheless, I would rather not have the ants aquire their food in my house, or take the food that I put out for hummingbirds.
The last time I filled the feeder and found that the ants had come down from the eaves, I sprayed some nasty poison under the eaves before hanging the feeder up again.
The next time we noticed the feeder was empty, I was disappointed to discover that the ants had returned. I guess the poison had dissipated to the point where it was no longer a barrier.
Can Ants Swim?
Then I had a flash of inspiration. "Can ants swim?" I wondered, and then asked the oracle (a.k.a. Google).
My Original Image
Some Ants Can Swim...
It turns out that some ants can swim, but most of them can't. And so I added a "water barrier" to our hummingbird feeder.
My Original Image
If you look closely,
you can see that after climbing down the support cable, the ants will now have to swim across "the pond" in order to get down into the feeder proper. If I find that any ants are clever enough to get across the water barrier, I'll just float a thin layer of ant poison on top of the water.
Depending on where you live and the varieties of ants that live near you, your milage may vary. But I think that our immediate problem is now solved.
I also admire/despite ants. Outside - fine. Inside - swift and just executions abound! Clever water barrier!
Hi, @dreemsteem - Thanks for commenting! :) ;)
I suggest you read the short story Leiningen vs. the Ants - it details what happens when you try to fight an elemental - BTW, it was made into a very good film called The Naked Jungle starring Charlton Heston, who does a serviceable job as Moses in the Ten Commandments conquering elementals, but as Leiningen, not so much so :)
Thank you for the recommendation; I'll look for it! :)
I found and read the story... Wow! Quite intense!
Sort of reminds me of the Borg.... "Resistance is futile!" :0
imagine teaching that to students who don't understand the kind of man who would try to fend off lightning with his fists. You perfect your art in trying to reach unwilling minds :)
Ants can't swim but they are very versatile. If they encounter a water obstruction they build a bridge over it. Be it a living ant chain or sticks, leaves, etc...
Hi RockMan,
Thanks for dropping by and for your astute comment. I find ants quite fascinating, and very interesting to observe. I don't want them in my living space, however. Because I know that they leave trails for their fellows to follow, whenever I find a "lone ant" wandering anywhere in the house I immediately apply the death sentence. That way I less often have to kill them by the thousands.
If I find them developing creative ways over my water barrier, and getting into the hummingbird juice again, I'll have to escalate this contest to the next level... ;)